


Let me be your darkness

by ReginasMistress



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Dragon Queen Week, F/F, Fear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-18 19:45:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7327978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReginasMistress/pseuds/ReginasMistress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after S5. Maleficent and Regina share the same fear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let me be your darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Written for DQ week - Day 5's prompt: Fear

 

"Someone's at the door!"

Maleficent left her chopping, moving out of the kitchen and into the next room to eye her daughter. She was sprawled out on the sofa, stuffing her face and channel flicking, and clearly had no intention whatsoever of moving anytime soon.

"Would it kill you to answer it?"

She lifted her hands up, covered in vegetable peels as though to make a point.

It made no difference.

"Laziness is part of my darkness. You said you didn't mind a little darkness." She replied cheekily. At her mother's raised brow, she allowed her a truth. "Nobody round here's coming to see  _me_ , are they."

"You shouldn't make assumptions, Lily." She washed her hands, then moved to the door to open it, surprised to find Regina behind it in the state that she was. "Regina?"

"Can I-"

"Who is it?!"

Regina hesitated at the sound of Lily's voice, dropping her gaze to the floor and taking a step back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think... I shouldn't be here,"

"Regina, whatever's the matter?" Mal took a step closer to her. "I haven't seen you in such a state since..." she cut herself off, unsure it was wise to upset her further by reminding her of a painful memory. "You don't have to leave." She took hold of her hand, tentatively pulling her inside and shutting the door.

When her mom hadn't answered, Lily twisted around on the sofa, watching curiously as she led Regina through to the kitchen. The television quickly became very boring, and she moved closer to the doorway to listen in, grateful for how sensitive her hearing was now she had her magic.

"I'm scared, Liffy," Regina whispered, ashamed to admit it.

Maleficent moved intimately closer.

"Of what?"

"Everything." She was trembling, her breathing erratic. "I think I made a mistake. A massive mistake, and now I'm going to lose  _everything_. I've been so stupid."

"Regina,"

She could feel the panic building inside her. She’d gone over it a thousand times in her mind and she’d done the wrong thing, she was certain. She couldn’t tell the heroes though. She couldn’t face their disappointment if she confessed, but Maleficent? Maybe she would understand.

"I didn't think it would be like this, but she was right, I  _am_  weak. I  _do_  need her."

"Who was right?"

She lifted her gaze to Mal’s, seeing the fire behind her eyes at the thought of anyone calling her weak.

"The evil queen."

"You're not making any sense." Mal said softly, eager to understand the cause of Regina's torment, and somehow ease it.

"I can't protect Henry anymore, not like this.” She gestured to herself with disdain. “Not when I'm so much less than I was. I don't have the strength, Liffy,"

Mal’s gaze softened then. Regina had always had a self-destructive streak, but she’d seemed pretty settled in Storybrooke. She’d seemed at ease with her place in the world in a way she’d never witnessed before, so she didn’t understand what could have triggered it again.

“You’re the strongest person I know,”

“I’m not! Look at me!”

“Regina, calm down-”

"You don't understand," she let out a sob, lifting her hands to her head as if she was in pain. "I can't lose him. I destroyed her. I destroyed the darkness.”

“It’s alright,”

“It’s not alright,” she sobbed, her legs buckling but Maleficent quick to support her. “I need the darkness,” she insisted. “I need it and I can’t get it back!”

“Then let me be your darkness,” she soothed, as she lowered her to the floor, cradling her against her chest and letting her cry.

~

After a long while, safe in Mal’s embrace, Regina’s soft words punctured the air around them.

“There was a serum. To separate the darkest part of me, from the light.”

“Separate you how?” Mal laced her fingers through dark hair, gently soothing her as she spoke.

“Physically.” She explained. “Into a separate body. I was stood in front of the evil queen, and she was taunting me. She said I could never destroy our darkness and… the saviour and snow white were watching me. Watching me _break_.” She tensed her grip on Mal’s shirt, her eyes continuing to betray her as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. “I had to kill her, but I didn’t want to. She was always there for me, Liffy. She was right, I do need her. I’m nothing without her; and I’m scared of so many things now, but most of all I’m scared I won’t be able to protect Henry. I don’t have the strength to do whatever it takes.”

“Do you really think you need your darkness for that?”

“I know it.” She closed her eyes, feeling exhausted, concentrating on the comfort she gained from the older woman’s caress.

"Strength isn't born in darkness, Reena. You used to tell me that love is weakness, but it isn't. Love is strength, and love has always been what's driven you. It was your love for Daniel that set you on your path-"

"No- it wasn't," she argued, pulling back to stare her down. "It was anger! Anger at my mother, anger at Snow for telling her my secret, anger at losing Daniel-"

"Don't you get it, foolish girl?" Mal berated her gently, wiping her tears with the back of her hand and cradling her face. "Anger comes from  _love_. You can't get angry unless you care about something deeply, and if there's anything I know about you more than anyone, you love  _deeply_."

Regina opened her mouth to argue again, but no words escaped.

"We share the same fear, Regina. I lost Lily before she was even born, and the thought of losing her again... I can't even comprehend it. I was so angry when they stole her from me… but I have her back in my life, and all I can feel for her is love. I don't care about revenge anymore. I wasted so much time. I'll never let anyone hurt her again. I won't let anybody come between us, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect her. That isn’t the _darkness_ in me talking, that’s the _mother_."

Regina settled back into her embrace, taking comfort in her clarification.

 

~

It had been quiet for a while before Lily heard approaching footsteps, slouching into the sofa more and trying to appear casual.

She shouldn't have bothered.

"You shouldn't listen in on other people's private conversations, you know."

She pulled a face.

"Busted." She held her hands up in mock defeat. She was greeted with that raised eyebrow again. "Did you mean what you said?"

"Which part?"

"About protecting me?"

Mal moved closer, sitting beside her and looking at her fully grown daughter, whose expression was so much that of a frightened child.

"I'll _always_ protect you. I want this to be your home. I want us to be a family. No matter what."

Lily hesitated for a moment, before moving into her mother's embrace. It felt foreign and familiar at the same time, and  though she was still struggling to accept the fact that this woman could be a constant in her future, the more time she'd spent with her the easier it was becoming to believe.

 


End file.
